Conventional electrical receptacles include receptacle bodies having electrical plug prong-receiving slots formed therein, with a conductor assembly formed in each slot. The conductor assembly, such as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,743,423 and 3,081,442, usually comprises a conductor wire with a spring contact engaging the conductor wire and disposed in the slot for making frictional engagement with a prong inserted into the slot. Such constructions perform their intended functions well, but are relatively expensive to make and to install in junction boxes, multiple electrical outlet strips, or the like. Because of such disadvantages, U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,334 (the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein) has proposed the formation of the terminals from the conductors in such a way that a number of receptacles may be electrically interconnected easily together by soldering and/or crimping of the contact terminals in engagement with the current carrying wires. While such an arrangement is eminently practical it too is more expensive and time consuming than desired.
According to the present invention, an electrical receptacle is provided that eliminates all the drawbacks inherent in prior arrangements. According to the present invention an electrical receptacle is provided that has a minimum number of components and can be assembled in the simplest manner possible. The only electrical plug prong-receiving conductive components comprises the conductor wires themselves, and the wires are arranged in such a manner that no soldering or crimping is necessary to effect connection thereof. Rather, either the receptacle body component parts are merely snapped together to retain the wires in appropriate position; or the wires are directly snapped into the body component parts themselves. Any number of receptacles can be connected in this manner with the same conductor wires. Such an arrangement provides the epitomy of simplicity, minimized costs, and minimized labor in assembling components.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an electrical receptacle comprises a receptacle body of electrical insulating material, and includes a face. Means are provided defining first, second, and third spaced, parallel, elongated prong-received slots in the receptacle body face. First, second, and third conductor wires, each having a bare, uninsulated portion thereof, and each being substantially longer than any dimensions of the body are received by the body. A plurality of elongated flexible cantilever portions of said body are provided, each having an end fixed to the body face, and each having a free end spaced from the body face, the cantilever portions elongated in the same dimension of elongation as the prong-receiving slots. Each cantilever portion has a cam surface formed on the free end thereof and a locking surface extending generally perpendicular (but preferably slightly arcuate) to the dimension of elongation of the cantilever portion with which it is associated and immediately adjacent the cam surface. The body also includes a plurality of relatively rigid projections extending from the body face in the same dimension of elongation as the cantilever portions. The projections, some of which also have cam surfaces cooperating with the cantilever portion cam surfaces and abutment surfaces generally parallel to the respective cantilever portion locking surfaces but spaced therefrom (being located nearer the body face), cooperate with the cantilever portions to provide means for receiving the conductor wire bare portions. Such means also mount the conductor wire bare portions so that each extends substantially perpendicular to and intersects a respective prong-receiving slot and will be directly tangentially engaged by an electrical plug prong when such a prong is inserted into the respective prong-receiving slot in the receptacle face.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive, electrical receptacle having a minimum number of parts and being electrically connectable without soldering or crimping of any terminal components or the like. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.